The State of the Region 2007

Measuring Regional Progress

Released December 6, 2007

PREFACE

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is the largest regional planning organization in the nation. The SCAG region, also referred to as Southern California in this report, includes six counties (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura) and 187 cities. Currently, with more than 18 million residents, the region has more population than any state in the nation with the exceptions of California, Texas and New York. It is also the 15th largest economy in the world.

The State of the Region 2007 tracks the progress in Southern California through the use of a set of interrelated performance indicators. The report compares the recent performance of our region with its own previous record and that of other large U.S. metropolitan regions. It also includes three essays on critical regional issues: the prospects of transit-oriented development, residents' opinions on quality of life, and the current public health crisis from air pollution. The report is intended to raise public awareness, focus policy deliberations and shape collective actions on vital issues affecting our shared future.

It should be noted that in addition to absolute improvements within our region, performance relative to other regions is equally important. Southern California competes with other metropolitan regions nationally and globally, and quality of life differentials have consequences for our region's competitiveness in attracting business investment and human capital.

As one of the top global gateway regions serving both the nation and the international community, the performance of Southern California impacts not only the quality of life of its own residents but also carries national and global implications. Hence, the region also needs to make contributions to address global issues such as climate change.

Assessing the region's performance is an integral component of the regional policy process. Findings from the State of the Region provide a basis for regional policy development and implementation. Since 2005, SCAG has been working collaboratively with local governments, stakeholders and partners in developing a new Regional Comprehensive Plan (RCP) and Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The new RCP and RTP, with drafts currently under public review, contain goals and action plans to improve the region's performance for both current and future generations.

Preparation of the 2007 Report was guided by SCAG's Benchmarks Task Force, consisting of local elected officials and regional issue experts in Southern California. A companion piece, the State of the Region Report Card, includes grades for selected issue areas developed by the Benchmarks Task Force. The complete 2007 State of the Region Report, Report Card and the draft RCP and RTP have been posted on the SCAG website at www.scag.ca.gov

Additional Resources

Also Available

Learn More

You can learn more about the preparation of this report by visiting the Annual State of the Region Program page.

For additional information, please contact Ping Chang, the report's principal author at (213) 236-1839 or email chang@scag.ca.gov

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